Nick WagonerSep 18, 2025, 07:45 PM ET
- Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- While San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy isn't sure if he will play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, he made it clear on Thursday that the decision will come much closer to kickoff than it did before last week's game against New Orleans.
"[We've] just got to see come game time how I feel," Purdy said. "I want to play every game. I want to be out there. You only get 17 regular-season games and every game matters, especially a divisional [game] going against the Cardinals. If you ask me, I'd love to, but I'm trying to be smart with my body here. You never know. We'll see when the game comes."
On Thursday, Purdy practiced for a second consecutive day on a limited basis as he works his way back from the toe injury he suffered in the season opening win against the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did Purdy participate on Thursday, he also spoke about his injury for the first time after that session was completed, offering a brief glimpse into how it came about as well as how he's feeling.
According to Purdy, the left shoulder injury that bothered him coming out of that Seattle game is no longer an issue, but it's the toe that needs to fully resolve before he can return. That ailment kept Purdy out against the Saints in Week 2, but he has made enough progress since that it's possible he could play in the home opener against Arizona on Sunday.
"It's been a day-to-day thing this week and I feel like I'm happy with the progress that I've been making with my foot and toe," Purdy said. "It's just going to be a day-to-day thing on how I feel. Nothing really more than that."
On Sept. 8, the day after the 49ers defeated Seattle, Purdy's addition to the injury report came as a surprise when coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned it on his usual day-after-game conference call. Purdy not only played the whole way in Seattle, he also threw the winning touchdown pass to tight end Jake Tonges and made no mention of any discomfort in his postgame news conference.
Shanahan has pointed to a 7-yard scramble by Purdy with about two minutes left in the first half as the play Purdy injured the toe. On the play, Purdy broke the pocket to his left and was tackled by Seahawks safety Julian Love as he fell toward the sideline.
Although Purdy didn't show any signs of being seriously hurt, he said Thursday he informed Shanahan and the training/medical staff that the toe was bothering him. It wasn't until after the game that it became truly painful, though, with Purdy adding that he doesn't think it was any one play that led to the injury.
"I think it was just an accumulation of certain plays and different moments in the game and stuff," Purdy said. "I finished the game and it was more so like the adrenaline cooled down and I was like, 'All right, something's wrong with my toe here,' and obviously you go in and get an MRI and you get a diagnosis and all that. ... My mindset's always been like, I can play and you got to really take me off the field for something serious, but if I can walk and jog and throw a football, then I'm good to go. So that was more so my mindset, and I didn't feel it until after."
As the 49ers prepared for the Saints in Week 2, Shanahan said it was a "long shot" that Purdy would play on Sept. 10, all but naming backup Mac Jones as the starter for that game. That turned out to be the case as Purdy was a pregame inactive, with Jones starting and quarterback Adrian Martinez elevated from the practice squad to serve as Jones' backup.
This week, there is no such clarity, at least not yet. During the brief portion of practice open to media, Jones has been first up taking the quarterback reps in individual drills, while Purdy has worked his way in after. Jones said Thursday it is a bit different not having the certainty he had last week, though he is trying not to let it affect him.
"As a backup you know you're not playing the first snap and as a starter you are, so you've got to be ready for both," Jones said. "At the end of the day, all the externals don't really matter. You just have to focus on the game plan and get everything tidied up by Sunday, and that's what I'm doing. It's just been like a normal week for me and following my schedule and getting ready to play if my number is called."
Purdy, meanwhile, is working through all the accompanying issues that go with an injury that has been described by Shanahan as something similar to turf toe. Purdy said Thursday he is still discussing with the medical and equipment staffs possible options for an orthotic, steel foundation or some other additional padding for his cleats moving forward.
The injury also has left Purdy, who has never had a toe injury previously, with an increased appreciation for how important his toe is in everything he does as a quarterback.
"It's crazy just talking to receivers and skill position guys that you hear them go through a toe injury or whatnot and then they go, 'No dude, it's one of the most painful things because you use your toe, you use your feet in every little movement and you've got to be explosive and go in and out of cuts,'" Purdy said. "I definitely have a good perspective and appreciation for making sure your toes are healthy."
